A billboard is an advertising sign structure typically composed of wood, metal or some other durable material, upon which is attached a wood or metal advertising surface, situated outdoors along roads, on buildings, and in public places. Advertising surfaces are typically manufactured in sections. (Sections are typically 4' wide in the case of wooden sign faces, and 2' wide in the case of metal sign surfaces, and have a height pertaining to the height of the sign face, as will be further discussed below.) Slogans or graphics are painted or mounted onto the sections, and then the sections are mounted or hung together forming a sign face for display.
Billboards became popular in the 19th century as a means for advertising products and services when competition for wall and fence space forced advertisers to construct their own structures for displays. With the invention of the automobile and improvement of highway systems, the billboard increased in popularity as a way to capture the fleeting attention of motorists by displaying brief messages, or graphics which highlight or illustrate products.
Wood is the most popular material for the manufacture of sections because of its relative low cost, and because it can be configured in multiple sizes, as will be further discussed below. One problem with wooden sections, however, is that they are subject to deterioration and decay. After several years of exposure to sun, rain, and snow, wooden sections tend to rot, thus requiring replacement. It is not uncommon to have to replace wooden sections every 4-7 years.
Metal sections, typically composed of galvanized steel or aluminum, have increased in popularity due to their improved ability to withstand the elements. However, while metal sections do not decay or rot like wooden sections, they have a tendency to "snap" as the temperature varies from cold to hot, or vice versa. "Snap" refers to the shrinking or expanding of the metal as the temperature changes. When metal sections "snap", the advertisements that are painted on the metal tend to flake or peel off, thereby destroying the advertisement. To restore the advertisement, particular sections must be removed, repainted and remounted, a very costly process.
For the most part, sign faces have been standardized into four common sizes: 12'.times.24', 10'6".times.36', 10'.times.40', and the most common 14'.times.48'. The construction of sign faces according to these sizes depends on whether the sign faces are manufactured out of wood or out of metal. As will be further discussed below in the Detailed Description, each sign face size requires specific sized sections that must be custom configured. For wooden sign faces, a carpenter is required to cut and match sections, according to specific dimensions, depending on the sign face size that he is to manufacture. For metal sign faces, sections must be manufactured according to specific dimensions, depending on the sign face size that is required. Thus, no common size stock is available that allows for easy construction of the above standardized sign faces.